Dead Pleasure: Ring-Around-The-Rosy
by SlytherinTimeLordHasImpala
Summary: This is the story of how one teenaged girl nearly started Armageddon. Raganarok. The Apocalypse. Whatever you want to call it, she almost caused it. It was her fault. Okay, maybe it wasn't, but most of it was totally her fault. Rated T: Gore, Violence, Depressing themes. Please R&R
1. Weed Poison

"Rose! Rose! Rose Anne Linnet!"

A shrill voice reached its peak as it screamed out the name of one redheaded, fourteen year old girl who was currently still asleep despite it being almost noon. Rose grumbled when she heard the voice, rolling over in her bed to see the alarm clock that was on her bedside table.

"Rose! I swear! We are going to be late! Get down here!"

Rose glanced at the clock and her eyes widened. She really was going to be late. In a flurry of movement, Rose was on her feet pulling jeans and a sweatshirt on as she hurriedly pulled a brush through her unruly mess of red curls. After shoving on a pair of beat up, blue and white Chuck Taylor's, Rose stumbled down the stairs and into the family room where her step-mother stood waiting, her hands on her size two hips.

"And what exactly took you so long?" Chantal Linnet, demanded.

Rose shrugged her shoulder. "Internal bleeding. I was saving the world from aliens. I was having a really good dream in which I was sound asleep."

Chantal glared. "Well, come on. We are going to be incredibly late. You would think you would have more respect. Besides, we are doing this for your father." She said, storming out the door.

"More like you are going to walk around playing victim to the family." Rose grumbled, following her step-mother out.

Once in the car, Rose began to think. It hadn't been less than two months ago when her father's body was found floating in the Chateauguay River. A couple of trout fishers had the misfortune of coming across the dead man's lifeless corpse.

There were no wounds, nothing in the autopsy that provoked any type of concern. Apparent suicide by drowning. Expect, it didn't add up. Jonathan Linnet was one of the most happy, pleasant, and youth filled people you could hope to meet. So, why would he commit suicide?

Rose refused that her father had committed suicide. Absolutely refused to. She knew her father better than anyone. She knew that he would never ever kill himself. So, the logical reasoning left was simple. Someone else had killed him. Or it had been accident. But, there was no possible or rational reason as to why her father had committed suicide.

The car stopped in front of a reception hall. Chantal got out and walked around to the other side of the car before pulling the passenger door open. She glared at Rose.

"You will behave. You won't ramble off your delusions about your father being murdered. You will sit still and only speak when spoken too. Do you understand me?" Chantal growled out.

Rose rolled her eyes and got out, pushing pass Chantal. "You know he didn't kill himself." She said, simply.

"Stop it! Johnathan obviously had underlying problems he didn't share with us." Chantal snapped.

The redhead ignored her and walked to the door, pushing it open. The reception hall was decked out in black and silver decorations, with a bunch of people dressed in black and sobbing. Chantal had thought it smart to throw together a 'remembrance get together'. Which in common terms meant a bunch of family and family friends were going to sit around and sob and talk about how much they missed Johnathan Linnet. At least there would be food.

Rose grabbed a plate and began stacking it high with little cucumber sandwiches as she avoided eye contact with everyone in a five foot radius of her. Chantal was already sobbing as she choked out how much she missed and loved Johnathan.

Who knew, maybe the woman was being sincere. Maybe she was faking it. Maybe, just maybe, Chantal felt horrible about the whole thing and was honestly overcome with grief. Yeah. Probably not. It wasn't that Chantal was a bad person, she wasn't, and the thing was, she hadn't cared about Johnathan. Where there was money, Chantal was close behind. The woman was worse than a gold hoarding dragon in fairytales.

Rose found a corner and sat, eating her sandwiches as she studied the crowd. She recognized various aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as coworkers and friends. But, there were was someone she didn't recognize at all. A man wearing a bright red tie that stood out against his white dress shirt which was untucked. He had dark jeans on, a black sports coat and beat up sneakers. A black fedora was perched on his head. Long blond hair fell around his shoulders. A long, nasty scar ran his forehead, across his left eye and down to his chin, stopping at the top of his throat.

He was looking directly at her.

Feeling uncomfortable, Rose got to her feet and headed out into the hall. She walked down the hall searching for the bathroom so she could hide out when someone grabbed her by the arm. She was shoved into a nearby storage closet, the door shutting and she being shoved into the wall. A leather gloved hand covering her mouth and nose.

She panicked, thrashing against her attacker. The smell of sandalwood and cinnamon was burning into her nostrils. The light was dim and she couldn't see her attacker, but, she soon heard a voice. One that was male and sounded highly annoyed. Like attacking a girl and shoving her into a storage closet was a terrible inconvenience to his day. He was also most definitely Irish.

"Trust me when I say this, I don't want to hurt you. But, if you scream, it will alert everyone to our current location and that would be incredibly terrible for both of us. So, I promise to remove my hand if you promise not to scream. Nod if you agree to these terms."

Rose hesitantly nodded. Only because she was starting to feel lightheaded and the difficulty of breathing was beginning to get to her. The man removed his hand and she coughed, gulping up the musty air. It was better than nothing. There was movement in front of her and suddenly a light appeared.

Her attacker was a man in about his thirties. He was pale, like he had never stepped foot outside. His raven black hair was slicked back with so much gel it glistened, and his eyes were dark. Almost like there was no color in the iris. He was wearing all black and he looked very, very annoyed.

The other disturbing thing was the small ball of flame that was floating above his upturned palm. Rose let out a squeak as she stared at it.

"W-What….H-How is that p-possible?" She stuttered out.

"Don't stutter. It agitates my nerves." The man said.

Rose stared at the man, her mouth hanging open. She was at a loss for words. Speechless. Had she been knocked on the head and was having an extremely weird dream? Or was she imagining things? Had she been drugged?

"You're going to attract flies." The man stated.

Rose's jaw snapped close. She pinched herself hard and winced. "Ow…"

"This isn't a dream. Nor is it a parlor trick. Or a joke. All of this is quite real. That being said, you, Miss Linnet are in very, very real danger." The man said gravely.

"Well, duh, some strange man with fire floating in his hand has me locked in a closet! Why wouldn't I be in danger?" Rose snapped.

"I understand the circumstances are less then desirable but I couldn't very well make myself known. Someone here is hunting you. They want you dead." The man said, eyeing her with regard.

"What? Why would anyone want me dead? I haven't done anything to anyone!" Rose cried.

"Contrary to common belief, the world doesn't revolve around you. But, nonetheless, someone wants you dead. And, Miss Linnet, they have hired a very dangerous hitman to make sure that their wishes are granted."

Rose stared at the man. "Who are you? What are you? And, that! How can you do that?" She rambled, pointing at the fireball.

"My name is Leviathan Lourdes. I'm a mage. And, that is magic." The man replied, moving his hand slightly.

"Magic? That can't be possible. Magic isn't real…" Rose stated, her voice cracking.

"Miss Linnet, I don't have the time to explain. I do highly suggest you come with me. If not, you might meet a very untimely and messy demise. And, that, would ruin the plans of everyone involved in this mess." Leviathan said, his tone shifting from alarm to boredom.

"Look. I don't know what to think…I….need to go….I….you have fire." Rose said, backing away to the closet door.

Leviathan caught her wrist, the fire staying in the air. He pulled out a card from his pocket. "Think about it. Don't die. Contact me."

He held the card out to her.

She took it.


	2. An Untimely and Messy Demise

It was nearly midnight when Rose flopped onto her bed, burying her face into the plush pillows. She was in shock from the night's earlier happenings. As she closed her eyes, she saw Leviathan Lourdes, and his fireball floating in the air. She sat up and sighed. There would be no beloved sleep tonight.

Rose picked at the fabric of her blanket. The world seemed to have turned upside down these past few months. Her father dead, floating in a cold river in a state he hardly ever went to. Strange men staring at her at weird remembrance parties. Strange men who could control magic. It was completely unbelievable.

"I had at least hoped for a challenge."

Rose screamed when she heard the Cockney accented voice. Her head snapped upwards and her eyes met a man. He was leaning against the open balcony door to her bedroom. He was wearing a fedora, a nasty, ugly scar ran down from his forehead, across his left eye and stopped at the top of his throat. The same man who had been staring at her earlier. Except this time, he had lost the sports coat and tie, and he had a sword. A very sharp sword.

"How….Did you…" Rose stammered out, her eyes darting around, looking for an exit.

"When the boss told me to kill ya, I was thinking you would be a threat. A real hard hitter. But no, turns out, they sent me to kill a little lass." The man said, grinning.

"Who are you? Why do you want to kill me?" Rose asked, as she inched backwards into headboard.

"The name is Zion Hall. Magical hitman extraordinaire. If the price is 'ight, I'll take their life." He said, chuckling.

"Okay. So, why did someone hire you to kill me?" Rose asked, trying to stall him.

"They give me money. I don't ask questions. It's a lovely deal, don't ya think?" Zion said, wistfully.

"Wonderful." Rose said, forcing a smile.

They studied each other for a few moments, sizing each other up before Rose said. "This is the part where you tell me this has been a dreadful mistake and you don't kill me."

Zion smirked. "No, love, this is the part where I kill you."

He launched himself at her, she rolled over, tumbling off of the bed and hitting the wooden paneled floor. She hit hard. His sword sunk into her bed, right where she had been seconds earlier. He let out a psychotic laugh as he pulled the sword out. He stood on her bed, staring down at her.

"Gave up more fight then I thought ya would." He stated, looking amuse. "Ya got potential, lassie, I hate to kill ya."

"And I hate to see you kill her."

Zion and Rose both turned their attention to the balcony window. Leviathan Lourdes was standing there. He looked bored. He didn't have a weapon. Rose gave a small wave.

"Lev, it's been a bloody lifetime since I've seen ya. The last I'd heard about ya, was ya were rottin' up in a Sanctuary cell." Zion said, grinning.

"Zion Hall. A displeasure as always." Leviathan, replied evenly.

"I guess ya got me, Lev, gonna save the lass and waltz off into the sunset, eh?" Zion said, his blue eyes sparkling.

Leviathan shrugged. "Something like that."

Zion grinned before leaping off the bed, swinging the sword at Leviathan. The taller man dodged the blow, stepping around; his body swinging around so he was behind Zion. Leviathan hooked his foot around Zion's ankle, tripping the hitman, causing the man's face to smack into the floor. His fedora falling off, landing a few feet away from him.

The hitman rolled over, blood poured from his nose, streaming down his face, dripping off his lips and chin. He wiped at it lazily as he stared up at Leviathan.

"Got the best of me again, Lev?" He asked.

Leviathan nodded. "I don't think you were trying real hard."  
"Lev, ya is a real hard hitter is all."

"Will you be leaving?"

"Ain't got much of a choice, I reckon." Zion mused.

"Either that or I kill you. But, I wouldn't want to get blood on these nicely stained wood floors." Leviathan stated.

"Fancy that. Leviathan Lourdes. Got the best of me." Zion said, getting to his feet.

He smiled at Rose. "Don't worry, miss, I'll get around to killn' ya real soon." And with that he walked over to his fedora, put it on, tipped it to them then he went to the balcony and disappeared over the ledge.

Leviathan turned and held a hand out to Rose. "Are you alright?"

Rose took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. "Yeah. I'm fine. You know, considering some lunatic just tried to kill me." She paused. "He's not a very good hitman is he?"

"Zion Hall is an incredible hitman. Two things saved your life. One, he likes to toy with people. That was what he was doing tonight. He had no intention of ever killing you. He likes to scare his victims. Toying with them till he strikes at the least expected moment. The second thing was the fact he is terrified of me." Leviathan said.

"Why is he terrified of you? I get that you are some kind of wizard with fire but he had a sword. A really sharp sword." Rose said, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"He can also control fire. He just prefers air. He's an Elemental. Like me." Leviathan said, eyeing her.

"An Elemental?" Rose asked, confused.

"I'll tell you later. At the moment, we need to talk about getting to Ireland." Leviathan said, looking around the room.

"Wait! Chantal!"

Rose jumped off her bed and dashed for the door but was intercepted when Leviathan caught her arm, pulling her backwards. She toppled backwards onto her bed and he stood there, looking more annoyed than ever.

"She is safely asleep. Zion doesn't kill people unless they have a price over their head. Which you do. So, back to going to Ireland. "Leviathan said, cocking his head slightly.

"Ireland? Why?" Rose said, sitting up.

"Because that is the safest place at the moment. Well, actually, it probably isn't. But, nonetheless, I have more contacts there." Leviathan explained.

"That's great. So, do I just up and leave New Jersey? Because, I'm just positive that Chantal will just let me run off to Ireland with some crazy wizard!" Rose growled.

"Really? Then that simplifies things. I'll let you pack." Leviathan said, walking towards the balcony.

"No! I was being sarcastic!" Rose cried.

Leviathan turned and sighed. "Of course. Sarcasm." He muttered.

He paced for a few minutes before smiling. It looked oddly painful for him. "We fake your death." He announced.

"Woah, hold up. I never said I agreed to this!" Rose said, getting to her feet.

"Really, Miss Linnet, you were almost killed. You have been a witness to magic. People want to kill you. If you stay here, you become a sitting duck. Not only do you put yourself in danger, you put other people in danger." Leviathan said, slowly.

"I don't get why people want me dead. Why can't you stay here?" Rose said.

She was terrified, the realization that she could have almost died was catching up with her. Leviathan studied her, his hands behind his back. Then he laughed. It was a cruel, bitter, harsh laugh. When he finally stopped he shook his head.

"Because, I'm a wanted man. I can never stay in one place for long without someone trying to kill or arrest me. Also, besides, someone else wants you on their side. And, I just can't have that. Never could stand that walking, talking bone bag. Even when he was flesh." Leviathan ranted.

"Why are you a wanted man?" Rose asked, quietly.

"I killed someone." He said, simply.

Rose's eyes widened. "For what reason?"

"There really wasn't one. Just, he had it coming." Leviathan replied.

"What kind of man are you?"

"A very dangerous one who shouldn't be trifled with. Now. You are going to shoot yourself." Leviathan said, pulling out a gun.

Rose squeaked and scrambled backwards. "You said fake my death!" She cried.

Leviathan rolled his eyes. "You are. Stop being so dramatic, it's not good for my nerves." He muttered. "I'm going to need a reflective surface."

Shakily, Rose went to her closet and pulled the door open, a mirror hanging on the inside of the door. Leviathan nodded. He motioned for her to step in front of it. As she did so, she watched as he did various things then said.

"Touch the mirror."

Rose touched the mirror, the glass smooth and cold beneath her fingertips. She stepped back in horror, when she saw her reflection begin to climb out of the mirror. Her reflection stood in front of her. Everything was the same. The same, long mess of red curls, the jeans, and the hoodie. A perfect replica. It was her.

"How….Oh…." Rose was dumbfounded.

Leviathan handed over the gun to the reflection. "Shoot yourself."

The reflection took the gun and nodded. "Okay.

Rose watched in shock and horror as the reflection took the gun, put it to her temple and pulled the trigger. The reflection crumpled to the ground, blood pouring from the wound. Just like that. It was over, with such a simple word.

 _Okay._

A sob wracked through Rose's body. She felt sick. "That…that was…that was me." She choked out.

"No, it wasn't. It was a reflection. It didn't feel anything. I know seeing yourself die is uncomforting. Now, come on. That shot would have awoken your guardian. I'll get you knew clothes once we are in Ireland." Leviathan said, heading to the balcony.

Rose stared at the reflection. It looked just like her. It was her. Rose snapped out of her daze when she heard footsteps rushing up the stairs. In any minute, Chantal would burst in and this would look very, very bad.

"Rose! What was that? Rose!?"

She heard Chantal's frantic voice. She looked over at Leviathan who had one leg over the balcony railing. "Well? Are you coming?" He asked.

Rose watched as the door handle began to turn. She turned and ran out to the balcony, letting Leviathan take her by the waist before plummeting over the balcony. He landed with grace, before setting her down. The grass tickled her through her socks. She wished she had had time to grab shoes.

"Are you alright?" Leviathan asked, actually sounding concerned.

"No. I'm not. But, thank you for asking." Rose replied, shortly.

They heard a high pitched scream coming from the above bedroom. Followed by frantic sobs and then footsteps running away. Leviathan nodded. "Mortals. Never can tell the difference between the real thing and the fake." He mused.

"What now?" Rose asked, she was shivering.

"We have a plane to catch. First, I reckon we should get you some shoes, though. We should be going, soon this place will be crawling with moral law enforcement. Come on, I'm parked down the street." Leviathan said, starting to walk away, hands in his pockets.

Rose followed after him. "What do you mean 'parked'? Can't you, I don't know, just wish us to Ireland? We have to take a plane? I hate planes!"

"Considering that the last Teleporter alive is the ex-boyfriend of Valkyrie Cain, and I'm not an Adept, no. I cannot just wish us to Ireland. We have to take a plane." Leviathan said.

Soon, the pair came upon a bright, pink Volkswagen. Rose took one laugh at it and began to laugh hysterically. "Y-You…drive...t-that!?" She choked out.

His cheeks flushed bright red. "It's a rental." He said through gritted teeth.

Rose once again regained composure. "Heh…You know, this might actually be fun. It's completely crazy. I mean, here I am, junior high girl, a future as bright as a streetlamp, about to go off into some crazy magical world with some broody wizard."

"Oh, yes. Fun. Because, being hunted down by other powerful, broody mages is always fun. Get in."


	3. Ireland, I see, Ireland

The last thing Rose had remembered, was Leviathan showing her to a spare room in his apartment. Or, flat, as she was now in Ireland. She had fallen asleep long before her head had even hit the pillows. When she woke up, she panicked slightly. The events of the last day overcoming her with emotions.

She groggily sat up and wrapped the big, fluffy blanket around her. Ireland was cold. Or maybe this apartment was just cold. She shuffled out of the room and into the living room where Leviathan was sitting, drinking tea and was busily writing something down on a notepad.

Rose sat down across from him, taking in his living arrangements. It was very sophisticated. The living room was done up in black leather sofas with a black glass coffee table. A black and white striped rug sat under the table. There wasn't any art or pictures on the walls. They were just a nice shade of cream. A large, grandfather clock looked very out of place as it was shoved in a corner of the room.

The kitchen had been done up a nice modern stainless steel appliances and black marble accents. It was very classy. The oven suddenly started to beep, the scent of food wafting to Rose's nose. She glanced curiously over to Leviathan.

"Could you get that?" He said, looking up at her.

"You cook?" She asked, surprised.

He narrowed his eyes at her and she shrugged, before getting to her feet and going to the kitchen. She grabbed a towel, turned the oven off then pulled the door open and took the food out. She set it down on the counter and raised an eyebrow.

"You made a quiche." She stated.

"So? Are you going to stare at it or will you be serving it?" Leviathan asked.

Rose rolled her eyes. She found plates, silverware and a spatula before setting to works. "You know, I could be traumatized. I haven't exactly had a go-lucky past day here." She grumbled.

"Are you feeling traumatized?" Leviathan inquired.

"No. Just incredibly confused and terrified." Rose replied.

"That sounds an awful a lot like trauma." Leviathan mused.

"You need to work on understanding sarcasm. Of course, I'm traumatized! I have seen magic, someone tried to kill me, oh, and uh, I saw myself dead. No, why in the world, would I be traumatized?" Rose said, walking over with two plates of quiche.

She set one down on the coffee table then sat down in the sofa across from Leviathan. She eyed the notepad. "What are you doing?"

"Making a list of people we need to see. One I am not looking forward too. Actually, two." Leviathan said, consulting his list.

"Who would they be?" Rose asked, curious.

"Ghastly Bespoke and China Sorrows." Leviathan said, agitation edging into his voice.

"Why don't you like them?"  
"You ask a lot of pointless questions." Leviathan grumbled.

"Not my fault I don't know anything. Can you teach me magic?" Rose asked, cheerfully taking a bite of quiche.

"No. Not yet." Leviathan responded.

"So, that means that you will, at some point, teach me magic?" Rose said, a bit surprised.

"If you have the aptitude. Yes." Leviathan said, picking up his plate.

"And if I don't have the aptitude?" She questioned.

"I reckon you'll die." He mused.

"How lovely." Rose grumbled.

"Chin up. I'm sure you'll be fine." Leviathan said, giving a smile.

They ate their breakfast in stony silence. Thousands of questions were assaulting Rose's mind. Why was she so important to want to be killed? Who was Leviathan Lourdes? Who had sent Zion Hall to kill her? Magic was real? There was a bunch of mages in Ireland? What was going on?

Soon, Leviathan stood up. He walked to the kitchen and washed his plate before putting the quiche away and turning to her. "Let's get going. I don't want to waste my day with these two."

Rose took her plate into the kitchen and set in the sink before going back to her temporary room. She dropped the blanket on the bed then pulled on her new Chuck Taylor's before going back out. Leviathan was looking like he normally did. Tall, pale, broody and foreboding. Except this time he was spinning a keyring around his finger.

"Don't tell me we have to drive around in the Bubblegum Disaster." Rose moaned.

Leviathan chuckled. "How creative. But, no, if you remember, we left the Volkswagen in America. At the airport. Far away."

"That's good to know. Let me guess, you drive the sparkly purple bus here instead." Rose said, crossing her arms.

Leviathan let out an annoyed sigh before turning and exiting the apartment. Rose trotted after him, watching as he closed his door and locked it, making sure it was tight and secure. He then led her to a small carport area. He stopped in front of a lot and smiled proudly.

Rose gasped. Parked behind Leviathan was one of the most beautiful cars she had ever seen. It was a small, slinky gray two seater Lotus Elise. She fell in love immediately. She turned to Leviathan and said. "I didn't knew you drove such a pair of wheels."

"Hmm. Well, there are a lot of things you don't know. Get in." Leviathan said, walking to the driver's side.

Rose slid into the passenger side. Feeling a bit awkward as it was opposite from in America. She looked around the car though and smiled. "I could totally get used to this." She announced.

"That brings great joy to my heart." Leviathan said blandly.

"I don't think you have a heart." Rose shot back.

"Probably very true." Leviathan replied.

The streets sped past them as the Lotus Elise slinked smoothly down the roads. Rose was marveling about comfortable the seat was when Leviathan came to an abrupt stop in a slightly shady part of town. At least what Rose assumed was a bad part of town. It looked shady enough.

Rose went to get out but Leviathan stopped her. "It's very important you don't say your name. Also, it's quite common to fall in love with this woman. It's part of her magic. Step very careful around her."

He looked dead serious, even more dead serious than normal, so Rose decided to trust him on this one and nodded. They climbed out of the car, Leviathan locked the car then walked up the steps. The building turned out to be some kind of library. Shelves were high and shoved full of books and people were everywhere. Some having hushed conversations and others reading.

There was a woman who was ungodly beautiful. She had skin the color of porcelain, long raven black hair. She was wearing black pants, boots and a loose fitting red shirt that buttoned at the base of the neck. It was simple outfit but the woman seemed to make it look much more than it was.

The woman caught sight of them, her pleasant expression changing for a brief second before she walked over. "Leviathan Lourdes. You are not welcome here." She said, narrowing her eyes at the mage.

"I'm not? Now, China, you really are not still mad about that are you?" Leviathan said, sounding amused.

China let out a huff. "Fine. What do you want?" She said.

"A book." He stated.

"I have thousands of books. You'll have to be more specific than that." China replied.

"A certain book on rituals. It's called "The Angelical". Last I heard you had it." Leviathan said.

"I know the one, and what you want with it I would love to know, but, sadly, I don't have it anymore. It was stolen from my collection ten years ago. The same time you left. I thought perhaps you had been my thief." China said, she then turned her attention to Rose.

"And what is your name?"

Rose felt compelled to tell her. Ignoring what Leviathan had said earlier in the car, she began to speak. "My name is R-"

"She hasn't chosen a name yet, China." Leviathan interrupted, cutting off Rose. "I find it unsettling that you would stoop that low." He added.

China laughed. "This is me, Lev."

"Any ideas as to who would want to steal the book?" Leviathan asked, glaring.

"No. Like I said, I thought it had been you. You always did try to find ways to spite me. So, no, but if I hear anything I'll let you know. After all, I see you have the girl." China said, giving a wave in Rose's direction.

"Yes. I suppose it would be asking too much that you didn't mention this to Pleasant?" Leviathan asked.

China gave a smile. "You know I can't promise that. Are you scared he'll come foil your plans?" She asked, almost on the verge of teasing.

"I'm not scared of Pleasant." Leviathan retorted.

"You should be." China said quietly.

"Good day, China. Tell Bliss I said hello." Leviathan said, grabbing Rose by the shoulder and pulling her to exit.

"My brother died heroically while you were off hiding. You always were a coward, Lourdes." China called.

Leviathan ignored her, pulling Rose along with him. Once outside, Leviathan threw a fireball at the side of a brick building, it hit it and left a scorch mark. Rose felt herself coming out of her daze. She shook her head.

"That was weird." She said.

"You'll be able to resist her, eventually." Leviathan said, calming down.

"Why did you not want her to know my name?" Rose asked as they walked back to the Lotus Elise.

"Everyone has three names. The name you are given, the name you take, and your true name. The name you are given is the one you are born with. The name you take is the one you choose for yourself. And lastly, your true name. No one knows what their true name is. Names are very powerful. If one knows a person's true name they can control them." Leviathan explained, as he got into the car.

"So, I need to choose a name." Rose said.

"Yes. It'll come to you." Leviathan said as he pulled back out onto the street.

"Can I name your car?" Rose asked, running over the dashboard.

"Uh…yes?"

"The Viper. What do you think?" Rose said, glancing at Leviathan.

"Hmm. I like it." Leviathan said, offering a small smile.

"As for my name, it can be anything right?" She asked, leaning back in her seat.

"Yes. Choose wisely, it is a name you are stuck with till you die." Leviathan said, pulling down a side street.

"Isley Rochelle." Rose said.

Leviathan pulled up to a building and parked. He glanced at her. "Are you sure?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah. I think I'm starting to find a purpose with this whole thing, you know?"

"That's an odd way to put it." Leviathan mused.

"Is it? I don't think I really thought about it." Rose said before getting out of the car.

Leviathan followed after her. He knocked on a door. The sign above read. 'Bespoke's Tailors.' Rose eyed glanced over at her companion. "Did you really drag me here so you could get your suit tailored?"

He shook his head as the door opened. A short man was standing there, scars covered the top of his head, arms and face. Rose's eyes widened then she decided to look at her feet. She hadn't meant to be rude.

"Lourdes. This is a surprise. What has it been? Twenty years?" The man said, leaning against the doorway.

"Ten. Don't exaggerate, Ghastly." Leviathan said, giving a grin that looked more like a grimace.

"Hmph. Well, what can I do for you? Oh, who's this?" Ghastly said, suddenly taking notice of Isley.

"Uh. Isley Rochelle." She said, holding out a hand meekly.

"Nice to meet you, Isley. I'm Ghastly Bespoke." Ghastly said, kindly.

"Now that the introductions are out of the way, Ghastly, Isley will be needing proper clothes." Leviathan stated.

Ghastly nodded. "Very well, this way Miss Rochelle." Ghastly said waving her in. Leviathan went to follow but Ghastly stood in the way.

"I trust you about as well as I know you. And that's not very well. You'll wait out here." He said, sternly.

Leviathan smiled. "If you want, Ghastly." He replied, with a one shouldered shrug.

Ghastly led Isley to a backroom before he pulled out various tailoring items and fabrics. He began to take her measurements before saying. "I was thinking green. Emerald green."

Isley shrugged. "And black?" She asked.

He nodded. "So, I didn't know Lourdes took on students. He's always seemed to be a bit of a loner. Not that I know him that well." Ghastly said.

"Uh, I'm not really his student." Isley said, awkwardly.

"You're American." Ghastly muttered.

"Yeah." Isley said before adding. "Are we done?"

"Almost. Are you an Elemental or an Adept?" Ghastly asked, eyeing her.

"I dabble." Isley responded.

"Intresting. We are all done here, Miss Rochelle. If I was you, I'd watch yourself with that one. I knew him back when there was a war. He wasn't very nice." Ghastly said.

"He isn't very nice now. But, for the moment, he's all I got." Isley said, softly.

"Considering he dragged you into this, I have someone who might be able to help you. You don't have to leave with Lourdes. Skullduggery would help you." Ghastly said, with a small smile.

"He saved my life." Isley said simply.

"Think about it, Miss Rochelle, that's all I ask." Ghastly said.

Isley nodded. She thanked him and he told her a few minor details about the payment. Isley went outside and found Leviathan leaning against the Viper, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. She waved and came and leaned against the car with him. He glanced at her.

"What did he say?" He asked.

"Told me you were a bad person in some war, that someone named Skullduggery could help me, and that he's charging you extra for dragging me into the magical world." Isley recounted.

"As I suspected. Do you trust me, Isley? I know this is quite sudden, but I don't want to see you die. You are also the only hope I have left in fixing everything." Leviathan said sounding strangely sad.

Isley shrugged. "I can't say I trust you. You did save my life though."

"I don't trust you either." Leviathan said.

"That's a concept. Say, were you really a bad person in the war?"

"Yes. Yes I was."


	4. On Rooftops

_It was a strange sight. Five people were crowded atop a roof. Sitting on the ledge was a girl with long black hair. A boy with very stupid looking hair was sitting on the roof by her. The other three were standing near. The girl looked over at the three and asked._

 _"I don't get it. Why are you so freaked out about this Lourdes guy anyhow, Ghastly?"_

 _Ghastly Bespoke sighed. "He was a Mevolant follower."_

 _"So, he worshipped the Faceless Ones?" She asked._

 _"No one really knows." Ghastly replied._

 _A figure in a long coat, with a scarf on chuckled. "Most speculate that he wasn't though." The figure happened to be a skeleton._

 _The girl glanced at the speaker. "What do you mean, Skullduggery?"_

 _The skeleton shrugged. "He switched sides halfway through."_

 _"Which means he's a good guy?" The third figure asked, a woman with blonde hair, asked._

 _"He was best friends with Guild." Skullduggery replied._

 _"So, he's a bad guy." The girl said with a sigh._

 _"I wouldn't say that, Valkyrie." Ghastly mused._

 _"Can we decide if he is good or bad already? You are all giving me a headache." The boy whined._

 _"Be quiet, Fletcher." Valkyrie muttered._

 _"Fine. But, really, what does it matter? He'll probably want to kill us regardless of what side he is on!" Fletcher exclaimed._

 _The woman laughed. "He has a point."_

 _"Back to Lourdes, why is he any concern of us?" Valkyrie asked._

 _"At the moment he isn't, but the girl, she might be of importance. China told me he was looking for the Angelical." Skullduggery said._

 _The woman cocked her head. "What's that?"_

 _"Well, Tanith, it's a book of forbidden rituals that was outlawed by the Sanctuary three hundred years ago. China got ahold of it but it was stolen ten years ago. She thought that Lourdes had gone off with it but apparently he didn't if he is looking for it." Skullduggery said._

 _"Isn't it a bit alarming that he is looking for a banned book of forbidden rituals?" Valkyrie asked._

 _"Not all the rituals are evil." Skullduggery said._

 _"That's wonderful. Anyways, I figure I should tell you all of this. Zion Hall has been sighted." Tanith said._

 _Fletcher looked up. "Who's that?"_

 _"Zion Hall is a hitman. Picture Billy-Ray Sanguine but twenty times worst and about a hundred times more annoying." Ghastly said._

 _"That does sound bad." Valkyrie muttered._

 _"What it does sound like is something is starting to happen. And someone wants someone dead." Skullduggery mused._

 _"We have other things we need to deal with first though." Valkyrie said._

 _Skullduggery nodded. "Yes. Yes, we do."_


End file.
